Ripple (XRP) or IOTA (MIOTA): Which is better for 2018, and why?

Both Ripple (XRP) and IOTA (MIOTA) are altcoins that are trying to be better than the top two in Bitcoin and Ethereum. They are also both not mineable. However, Ripple is more centralized as opposed to IOTA. But why should you choose either as a better platform for 2018? Let’s have a look at each before we conclude.

IOTA vs. Ripple: The technology

Ripple (XRP)

Ripple (the company) wants XRP (the native currency) to be the transactional layer for international/cross-border money transfer. XRP is the underlying native currency on the Ripple blockchain and operates on the Ripple protocol or what is commonly known as the Ripple Transactional Protocol (RTXP). It is an open-source platform that has support for token issuance, crypto assets or fiat transactions.

Ripple’s stated objective is for blockchain to enable banks and financial institutions to access faster and cheaper cross-border transactions. It has a 1500TPS capability and transactions are settled within 4 seconds.

It is expected that XRP can reduce both the time it takes to settle international money transfers and the cost of carrying out those transactions. It actually transforms the whole landscape in terms of speed and cost.

IOTA (MIOTA)

Iota is synonymous with the Internet of Things technology. Its revolutionary technology is the Tangle.The Iota Tangle system is a blockless Quantum-resistant network that operates as a Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG).

It’s decentralized and doesn’t rely on either mining or staking, but on “transactors”, the users on the network. The main objective of the IOTA project is to enable an ecosystem where IoT will be the driving force of Machine-to-Machine economies around the globe.

It also wants to be a platform that transforms the micro-payments sector via a highly scalable and feeless open-source network. The one thing that makes IOTA so appealing is the lack of fees and a network that gets better with use, meaning the more activity, the faster the network becomes. This makes the system have limitless scalability, a critical element in the race for mass adoption.

IOTA vs Ripple: Partnerships/rumors/ speculations

Ripple

Ripple has been on the offensive, to say the least, in terms of aggressively getting partnerships on board. The company developed three blockchain n solutions that aim at making XRP the go-to cryptocurrency for liquidity and transactions in the financial industry. These are xRapid, xCurrent, and xVia. They are the solutions that have been driving Ripple’s move towards mass adoption.

In terms of partnerships, the company has some impressive names in its corner. The standout partnerships involve big industry players like MoneyGram, Western Union, LianLian International, SBI Holdings and the recent Santander deal.

All these are in the Banking and money remittance industry which is a big boost to XRP. The Q1 partnership with over 60 Japanese and Korean banks also was a big step in the right direction for Ripple. Other than that, the list of partnerships for Ripple is quite extensive, part of which is the snippet below.

There have also been rumors that Ripple could partner household brand names like Amazon, Starbucks, and Porsche. All these rumors and speculations add to XRP’s potential growth.

IOTA

The most notable partnerships that IOTA has include the huge deals the Foundation has had with Bosch, Volkswagen, and Fujistu. The three deals are likely to be the defining partnerships for the IOTA project. If they roll out their product in IoT through these giants in the Automobile and IT industries, then expect MIOTA to grow exponentially.

Another thing worth mentioning for IOTA is the partnership with Taiwan to transform Taipei into a smart city. It exemplifies the vision of a world where M2M communication makes life better. The Elaadnl partnership is also very critical to IOTA and the company just released the world’s first charging station where payments can be made via MIOTA.

Other notable partnerships can be seen below. The speculation that IOTA was tom partner Microsoft is a big one if it happens.

XRP vs. MIOTA- Which one is better for 2018 and why?

Both coins are listed on some of the major trading platforms like Binance, Bitfinex, and Bittrex. However, they haven’t made it to Coinbase, the US market’s biggest exchange.

Ripple is the 3rd cryptocurrency on the market at the moment, behind Bitcoin and Ethereum. With a market cap of $32.3 billion, it dwarfs IOTA six times. IOTA is currently ranked 9th with a market cap of $5.1 billion. Year to date, both coins have lost more than 50% of their value. XRP slumped from a high of $3.56 to the current $0.822.

MIOTA also tanked, dropping from $4.20 to the current $1.86. In the last 7 days, XRP is up 13.98% compared to MIOTA’s +10.82%. Going forward, IOTA has fought back to climb into the top 10 while XRP will try to hold off the challenge by Bitcoin Cash. Predictions put both coins into the green for the year, growth expected to reach $3.00 for XRP and $5 for MIOTA.

In terms of investment, therefore, both coins have the potential for 2018. But I’d give it to Ripple (XRP) due to the massive interest from financial institutions. IOTA (MIOTA) will see a big jump too, but Ripple’s represents a better one in 2018.